Future FarmUse the same techniques and artificial soils hydroponic experts use. Send water uphill, clone vegetables and grow seeds faster than you imagined!

Age Grading: 10+ YearsProduct Code: WS/32

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Detailed introduction

Unique Hydroponic Farm features °•magic°¶ capillary wick feeding of special liquid nutrients to big biodome gardens where kids can grow their own sandwich fillings °V without soil!

We supply the lab equipment and chemicals for children to make their own liquid nutrients, purify and balance pH.

Domes have plug-in capability to Ant-O-Sphere and all other ECO systems kits.

NERD ALERT!

The Nerd Alert for Future Farm is COMING SOON.
Nerd Alert provides loads of background information we couldn't fit in the booklet.
PLUS best of all, we will post a selection of YOUR AMAZING inventions. Be the First!
Email us your idea (make it short). Describe each step so someone else can do it too. And send two or three pictures.
WOW - you could be FAMOUS!

FAQ

Q1. The sand is black and smells bad°K.

A1. We think you may be going into the Nutrient adding phase too soon!
Just use water until the 'cotyledons' or seed leaves are starting to shrink. That is when the plant actually needs nutrient.
Too early , you can kill them by 'osmotic shock'. This effect matches your dying seedling descriptions.
Plus the nutrient will hang around and get colonized by bacteria and fungi - which stink and go black.
We suggest - empty your Future Farm, wash your used sand and vermiculite and wicks in buckets of clean water. Add a little bleach if possible to kill spores, USE GLOVES! Then rinse in several changes of clean water, and seive or strain and use again.
If you need more sand - use aquarium sand or fine gravel and wash before use. Builders sand is usually not washed properly.
Lavan, potting mix is not needed, plus you cant control your nutrient experiments as it has nutrients already.

Q2. Fungi and bacteria problem.

A2. After washing the vermiculite and sand, if you can spread them out to dry, preferably in sunlight. The sun's UV is antifungal and antibacterial.
Use bleach at the working concentration listed on the bottle. Sunlight quickly destroys spare chlorine so the sand will soon be safe to use again.
If you cannot dry your sand and vermiculite in the sun you can use the horticulturists old technique of 'cooking the soil' as follows:
Wash, rinse and drain the sand and vermiculite in plain water - but do not use bleach. Use a big old saucepan with a lid and gently cook the wet mixture until it is steaming vigorously. Steam it for 10 minutes - lid on. This will kill any fungi and bacteria. It also can 'stink up' the kitchen a bit - but it works! Vermiculite is heat proof and will not be destroyed by heating.

Q3. What is the best type of seeds to use& where do I get them from?

A3. The short list of seeds suitable for your kit is on the back of the box. We are sorry that we cannot supply them in the box due to state and international quarantine laws.
We recommend buying at least one type from the following three groups. We have chosen larger seeds that are easier to watch as they germinate, and that will germinate quickly, and are non toxic or edible. Seeds? Any will do - but mung and radishes are great. Parsley is REAL slow.

1) wheat or radish
2) mung beans, adzuki beans, runner beans ( or a packet of 'Sprout Mix' and separate out the different bean seed types at home)
3) cress, mustard or fenugreek.
You can buy many of the seeds from health food shops and supermarkets as most grow into edible sprouts.
Mustard and fenugreek seeds can also be bought in packets in the spices section of supermarkets. However sometimes these are processed so they will not germinate.
They are nearly all freely available in seed sections of plant nurseries. 'Sprout Mix' packets commonly include adzuki and mung beans and alfalfa. Alfalfa is fine to grow but the seeds are very tiny and hard to see.
All are available from online health food and sprout growing suppliers.

Q4. Does this kit have everything needed; seeds and soil?

A4. Worldwide the kit is supplied with all the growing media ( sands and artificial soil, nutrients) you need.
In Australia only, it is also currently supplied with a 'starter seed' pack. The seed pack contains mung bean and radish seeds.
It is possible seeds will be supplied with the kit in future in some other countries. This will depend on local distributor decisions in that country.